CBD Treats Psychosis With Fewer Side Effects, New Study Finds

According to a review published in the November issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, non-psychotropic cannabinoid Cananbidiol (CBD) alleviates psychotic symptoms has high potential as an alternative treatment for psychosis. Based on the preclinical and clinical data on the use of CBD as an antipsychotic agent, investigators in the Netherlands and the UK reported that both animal and human studies document the ability of CBD to mitigate symptoms of psychosis.

A 2012 study that compared the effectiveness of CBD vs. the prescription anti-psychotic drug Amisulpride in 42 subjects with schizophrenia and acute paranoia concluded that while both the agents brought about “equally significant clinical improvement”, cannabidiol “possessed significantly less side effects.” Evidence from several study domains and previous human trials suggest that considering its superior cost-effectiveness, safety, and high tolerability, CBD may prove to be an attractive alternative to current antipsychotic treatment.

Preliminary clinical trials assessing the safety and tolerability of the compound in children are scheduled to begin immediately after the FDA’s recent approval of the experimental use of CBD extracts for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, a rare form of incurable pediatric epilepsy.

The therapeutic qualities (anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-epileptic, anti-cancer, and bone-stimulating properties) of CBD have been documented primarily in animal models in separate investigations of CBD. Administration of this cannabinoid is associated with improved symptoms in clinical evaluations of patients with ketamine-induced dissociative and psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. (Via StT.org)

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